Stop Trying—Receive Your Real IdentitySample

Day 7—Growing Forward

Discovering a gospel identity is only the beginning! Losing is painful—understanding the loss, feeling the unmaking of “who you thought you were” is a long process. 

Finding is relieving—grasping the love of Jesus and His call to “come home” brings a wonderful sense of solid ground beneath your feet. The free-fall is over and the landing is soft and solid.

But there’s much flourishing ahead. Receiving a gospel identity happens in a moment of faith, but growing in a gospel identity is the slow, cultivation of a lifetime following Jesus. The gospel secures me in God’s grace and favor, and this redemption is deeply transformational. 

Before the resurrection, Jesus’ followers were fickle, fearful, and generally fragile in many ways. They were competitive and comparative. They played politics and jockeyed for position. They were selfish and fearful. And when Jesus died, they ran (but for a few).

But after the resurrection, Jesus’ followers were radically different. Fear evaporated and courage emerged. Jealousy died and collaboration was born. Greed was replaced by generosity. Timidity was overcome by audacity. This once weak and flawed group of followers became nearly reckless in their sense of mission and fearless in confidence. 

The change was organic—it dawned upon them. They didn’t work at it, but rather it materialized. This is what a gospel identity does. It rewires our responses. It creates a new heart within us which results in new responses and behaviors.

We become like Jesus without losing our uniqueness and without having to try hard to be like Him. His Spirit grows His fruit within us from the moment of our new birth until the moment we see Him. It’s a long, patient, cultivating, growing journey with Jesus. 

And He promises, no matter what, He will never stop His good work until it is complete.

If you enjoyed this 7 day devotional, be sure to pick up your copy of Stop Trying by Cary Schmidt and discover who you were created to be.